The Songbird and the Enchantress
by Xiahou Mel
Summary: Yuri/Lemon warning! - A romance between Zhen Ji and Diao Chan, will be multi-chapter, though I'm not sure how many yet. This is a niche I personally think has been extremely under visited, so I decided to fill it out.
1. Chapter 1 Seige

Authors Notes: A romance between Zhen Ji and Diao Chan. This is a niche I personally think has been extremely under visited, so I decided to fill it out. This first chapter is sort of short I feel, but it's more of an initial introduction to get the characters together. I try to keep at least loose historical accuracy, however I may deviate from times in the interest of the story. Comments are ofcourse welcome. Enjoy!

It was late in the evening time as the fighting between the armies of Lu Bu and Cao Cao began to die down for the night. The siege of Xia Pi castle was dragging on and becoming taxing to both forces, especially that of Lu Bu. Cao Cao at least had Liu Bei and his forces to back him up, and though small, it was something. Lu Bu had only his small army to work with. However all hope was not lost. Lu Bu had been expecting reinforcements from Yuan Shu, who had promised aid to him in this battle, and was eagerly awaited. And as it turned out, that night was tonight.  
Diao Chan entered the castle gates, followed closely by her guard detail. She had not seen much of the fighting, which irritated her to no end. Lu Bu had been so overly protective of her it was wearing on her nerves. She understood he didn't want harm to come to her, but after she had fought so hard with him to depose Dong Zhuo, she would have thought he'd have more faith in her capabilities to handle herself in battle. Instead, however, she was assigned a heavy guard unit and stationed just outside the castle entrance on defensive duty, told to hold her position, while Lu Bu went off to the front lines.  
Sighing, she waved her guard detail off. The soldiers were tired and more than happy to be dismissed. She had to admit, she was tired as well, and was looking forward to a hot meal and a warm bath. The meals were mostly heated rations however, as their supply lines had been mostly cut by Cao Cao, but food was food at this point. Sieges were always taxing on everyone.  
The meal would have to wait, however, as a sudden commotion arose just behind her at the castle gates she had moments ago passed through. At first she thought a night time strike had pushed it's way through from Cao Cao's forces, and all of her senses went on alert as she tightened her grip on her maces. To her surprise though, the soldiers were cheering. Had Lu Bu returned with the head of one of Cao Cao's generals or something? Pushing her way forward through the crowd, she broke into the circle at the edge of the gates to find Lu Bu there, however not with any Cao Cao forces, but instead standing facing several generals and officers dressed in yellow.  
Yuan Shu was just dismounting with his best officers and their details. So, their backup had arrived at last. A wave of relief swept over Diao Chan as she allowed her body to untense from the wave of adrenaline. She handed her maces over to a servant, who bowed and whisked them off to her rooms, and she moved forward to Lu Bu's side, who was addressing Yuan Shu and his men.  
"It's about time you arrived, Yuan Shu! I was beginning to think you were going to leave me here to defeat Cao Cao's entire army myself!" Lu Bu waved his arm grandly, and Diao Chan had to duck quickly to avoid catching his armored elbow with her forehead as she approached him from the side and slightly behind. As tall as he was, she was used to that, however. The mighty Lu Bu was not exactly a careful man with his grand posturing.  
"You're lucky I was able to arrive at all, Lu Bu." Yuan Shu replied as he threw his travel pack over his horse's saddle and handed the reigns off to one of the many stable hands that were circling about his forces, relieving them of their mounts and preparing to get their accommodations set up within the castle. "Cao Cao has much of the lands around Xia Pi completely barricaded off with his siege units. We had to fight through a few to even get here."  
"Hmph," Lu Bu grunted, "Explains why you're so late to show up. But at least you did manage to arrive. I see you've brought a few of your brothers with you to aid in the battle."  
"Yes, they volunteered." Several Yuans moved forward as introductions began, Yuan Shu introducing his brothers as he removed his riding gloves. "Yuan Tan, Yuan Rang, Yuan Dang, and Yuan Xi have come with me to aid. They have brought the most elite of their units. With our men added to yours, the numbers should be roughly even with Cao Cao and Liu Bei's forces."  
"Excellent!" Lu Bu clapped Yuan Shu forcefully on the shoulder. "We shall have a grand dinner this evening to celebrate, and to relieve you and your men of their travel exhaustion!"  
Wonderful, Diao Chan thought, more than pleased to hear of a meal of more than the combat rations she had been expecting. It was right then that Lu Bu finally noticed her arrival. He could be so dense sometimes for such a great man.  
"Diao Chan! I'm glad to see you unharmed!" he exclaimed as he pulled her to his side, much more roughly than she liked, causing her to gasp and her side to protest under the pressure of his grasp. He was always so brash. She pushed vainly on his arm to get him to loosen his grip a little, but as usual he didn't notice. "Yuan Shu, you've met Diao Chan, when last we talked."  
"Ah yes, the beautiful Diao Chan. Lovely to see you again!" Yuan Shu tucked his riding gloves behind his belt and flourished his cape in a bow much more grand and impressive than his stature really fit.  
"It is good to see you well, Lord Yuan Shu." she replied daintily, careful not to give any hint to her actual thoughts, lest she over step herself. Being Lu Bu's woman allowed her some modicum of leeway with expressing herself openly, however she prefered to maintain as regal a presence as possible to reserve that leeway for when she needed it.  
"I was sad to miss the opportunity to see you dance the last time you and Lu Bu visited, Diao Chan. The beauty and grace of your song and dance are known far and wide." Yuan Shu said, running an eye up and down her form, far more shamelessly than she liked. Luckily for him though, Lu Bu missed it.  
"Perhaps, circumstances allowing, I may be able to make up for that this time after the battle is over, my lord." she bowed her head, more to avoid having to look him in the eye than as a gesture of respect, but he didn't know that.  
"Ah, that would be wonderful!" Yuan Shu exclaimed. "We have quite the songstress along with us this time as well, my brother's wife! Perhaps the two of you could perform together! Zhen Ji!" Yuan Shu gestured behind his brother, and Diao Chan's head came up in time to watch Zhen Ji glide forward from behind Yuan Xi.  
Diao Chan could do nothing but stare as Yuan Shu began loudly proclaiming the exquisite beauty that was the young Zhen Ji's talented dance. She was... beautiful. Diao Chan had spent so much of her time in the company of masculine figures such as Lu Bu and Dong Zhuo, and brutes of generals and officers, that she had completely missed the captivating beauty that someone such as herself could radiate. Zhen Ji was in such stark contrast to Lu Bu it was astounding for her to witness. This must be how others see her, she thought. So delicate, so soft... she was utterly and completely lost in the moment. Time stood completely still for her as she watched Zhen Ji make a little curtsy to Lu Bu, her dress and hair fluttering gently as she bent her knee. A windless breeze rustled the ribbons strung through her hair and the tassels on her dress about her elegant form, and Diao Chan took in every detail.  
She was rudely yanked out of her reverie of Zhen Ji as Lu Bu announced banquet time and pulled her away towards the grand hall. Yuan Shu kept up with Lu Bu as they were joined by their top general, Zhang Liao, and their strategist, Chen Gong, and everyone else fell behind, and she lost sight of Zhen Ji. Lords, she had completely lost herself for a moment there. She shook her head as she walked, as if trying to clear it of a daze. The grand hall was just a turn down a corridor away from the castle gates, so they didn't have far to go. Xia Pi castle was not as large as some, but it was serviceable. Diao Chan suspected it used to be a fortress or a garrison of some sort before being renovated into a castle, but that was pure speculation on her part.  
They walked up to the grand table and everyone took their seats according to status. She sat to one side of Lu Bu, Chen Gong and Zhang Liao across from them, while Yuan Shu sat to the other side, and Yuan Shu's officers sat down the row from him, so she unfortunately had no further view of Zhen Ji beyond a glimpse of her as she crossed her field of vision on the way to her seat. Diao Chan sighed as Lu Bu pulled her chair out for her, happy at least to have his overbearing grip around her released so she could sit herself.  
Dinner conversation was very much for the men. Discussions of strategies to counter Cao Cao's army, ways to deploy their forces around the castle and surrounding area, and other military related business. She would have participated in the conversation, but Lu Bu never gave her opinion much heed when it came to the specifics of battle. Mostly he only found her advice useful in matters of court and politics. So she drifted off into her own mind, thinking mostly of Zhen Ji. She would have liked to have been sitting with her; much more opportunity for conversation, that was for sure. So she sat listlessly picking at the hot meal she had been so looking forward to not an hour before as she contemplated the woman, replaying in her mind the moments of her introduction, imagining her in every detail...  
With jolt she was broken out of her reverie by Lu Bu's heavy fist impacting table next to her. It wasn't until right then that she realized she had been staring off into space without seeing what she was looking at, and that her gaze had been leveled at Zhang Liao, across the table from them. As far as her memory of the past moments went, she may as well have had her eyes closed as she wasn't actually looking at nor seeing anything, but it was made very plain to her by the look in Lu Bu's eyes that she must have had a somewhat dreamy look on her face. It took a few moments to sink in as to the gravity of the situation, and as she slowly came to the realization that Lu Bu believed she had been gazing longingly at the hansome Zhang Liao.  
Panic lit through her as she tried vainly to think of something to say, her mouth opening and closing soundlessly several times with the effort of attempting to come up with any sort of explanation that might abate Lu Bu's anger. His rage was well known to all, and being on the receiving end of it was an extremely unpleasant thought, to say the least. She shied slightly away from him, flinching at the thought of what he might do. He had never actuallly struck her before, but he was known to hurl things into walls in his anger, and that always frightened her.  
She was spared any wrath right that moment, however. To her great relief, he turned away from her, looking back towards Yuan Shu as he was outlining the finer points of some sort of defensive strategy. She knew it wasn't over, though. More than likely she'd hear about it later when he came calling on her in her room. She gazed down at her barely touched plate, all apetite for her warm meal now gone as the pleasant images of Zhen Ji in her mind were now replaced by worried thoughts of Lu Bu yelling at her later. She believed he cared for her, she really did, but his anger always got the best of him. She could defend herself if necissary, but she'd definately be at a disadvantage in close quarters with his much bigger stature, trapped within her room. Unless... she didn't go back to her room tonight. Give him the night too calm down, hopefully by morning with the battle picking back up, he'd vent his jealous anger in combat. She didn't know where she would go, though. Possibly hide within one of the empty guest bedrooms...  
The conversation around her finally began tapering off, turning from battle towards more idle subjects such as the seasons and horse breeding and other such talk. It was then that it struck her that if she were to keep away from Lu Bu for the night, she'd need a head start on him. If she waited out the dinner to it's conclusion and left with everyone, Lu Bu would follow her and doubtlessly lead right to her room. She needed to excuse herself now.  
The act of standing up drew the eyes of most of the table. She bowed her head in an attempt to look meek. "I apologize everyone, but the ongoing battle every day is leaving me more and more fatigued each evening. I must excuse myself and get some rest."  
Lu Bu's eyes narrowed as he opened his mouth to say somemthing, but Yuan Shu beat him too it, standing as he offered another one of his overly grandiose bows, and Diao Chan had to actually suppress a giggle as the flourshing of his cloak sent the tails of it right into Lu Bu's face, who batted at them angrily.  
"Yes, you should rest well, Diao Chan! Do not over tax yourself, you are far too beautiful to develop worry lines! Sleep well, and rest assured that we shall break this siege for you!"  
Diao Chan bent knee in a curtsey back. "Thank you, my lord."  
She tried to keep her retreat down the hall from looking like the fleeing it actually was as she hurried down the corridors filled with soldiers going about their evening's business. Most of them were preparing their weapons, armor, and other equipment for the next day before heading off to find their beds. She walked quickly up to her room, intending to stop in to retreive her maces and a few personal affects before turning her back on her bed. She thought briefly about rustling her covers or setting out a few clothes or something to make it look like she was around and just happened to be absent from her room when Lu Bu came barging in later, but she rejected the thought. In all likely hood he would miss those signs completely; Lu Bu was not a subtle man.  
As she rushed into her room, she was surprised to find Wen Cai there, the head of her handmaidens. She jumped as Diao Chan all but burst into her room. Whatever matter she'd been there about was put asside as she cast a concerned look at Diao Chan.  
"My lady, I've rarely ever seen you so harried."  
Diao Chan blinked, not wanting to stay too long in her room. "Oh, Wen Cai! What... what are you doing here?"  
"I was here with concerns about the battle tomorrow, but what's wrong?"  
She began moving around her room, gathering up a few things as she went. "I uh... I'm going to use a different room tonight. Lu Bu is rather upset with me at the moment, and I don't want to be here when he comes."  
Cai scoffed, putting her hand on her hip. "It's not hard to upset Lu Bu."  
"Yes, but his rages have been getting worse as of late." She rumaged around in the bottom of her wardrobe and came out with a little bag.  
"Hm. Well, is there anything I can do to help?"  
"If you can just circle about the maids that no one knows where I went. I'm just going to move rooms for the night." She wasn't worried about Wen Cai saying anything to Lu Bu. Her loyalties were to Diao Chan and no one else. She looked up at her, "You might not want to be here when he gets here, either."  
"I'm not afraid of Lu Bu." Cai was always full of posturing, but she could tell by the look in Cai's eyes that she didn't like the idea of running into a raging Lu Bu any more than she did.  
"Be that as it may, please for me make sure to keep clear."  
"If you say so, Lady Diao Chan." She narrowed her eyes a bit. "Where will I find you in the morning?"  
"I'll come to your room in the morning before the battle starts."  
"Allright. I'll make sure to have breakfast for you at least."  
"Thank you Wen Cai." She gave her maiden a hug and turned back to her bag.  
She tossed her hairbrush and a hand mirror, a few hair clips, some hygiene items, and a couple changes of clothes in, grabbed her maces, and pulled the door closed to her room as she headed back out into the hall. The West Wing was where guests were usually housed, and she toyed with a brief notion of going and finding Zhen Ji's room. It sounded appealing to have someone to talk to, but she didn't actually know the next thing about the woman yet, and didn't want to impose. With a sigh, she headed off to the East Wing, where the rooms would be largely unoccupied. Should she stop at the quartermaster's post and see which rooms were open? No, she dismissed that thought as well. She didn't want to leave a trail for Lu Bu to find her. It wasn't a big chance, but she would have to risk walking in on someone.  
Turning down the appropriate corridors she found herself quickly in the East Wing. Almost no one was about in this end of the castle, and she went all the way to the end of the wing and chose one of the end rooms at random. Turning the handle, she eased the door open as quietly as she could incase someone was inside and stuck her head in. The room was dark, lit only by the moonlight spilling in through the window. She set her feet down as softly as she could as she glided silently inside and up to the bed. No one was in it. A few more moments of inspection yielded the room's candle stand and she lit a few. No personal affects were anywhere in the room. Sighing in relief, she set her things down on the wash stand, propping her maces up against the side of it, and closed the door, locking it with a sharp click. The room was smaller than hers, but she didn't mind. She took out one of her night gowns and laid on the bed, then began stripping off her outfit from the day. She didn't think Lu Bu would find her in here tonight, and the thought was relaxing enough that after she slipped into her night gown and laid down, she found herself quickly falling to sleep. Apparently she really was much more fatigued than she had thought. The last thoughts to pass through her mind before she drifted off were of the beautiful Zhen Ji.


	2. Chapter 2  Encounter

Author's Note: Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay in getting the new chapter up. Suffered a little writers' block on how I wanted part of this chapter to go! I changed the formatting in response to comment on solid text blocks on screen, hehe. Hope it's a little easier to read! I got a few comments on the last chapter, and was sort of waiting to see if I'd get more, but a new story is a new story I suppose! Let me know what you all think! Your reviews help a lot! Chapter 3 will be along soon, too!

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She awoke to the crisp feel of the early morning sunlight spilling through the window and across her face. For a few moments, she just lay there. The feel of an unfamiliar bed beneath her, different blankets against her skin. It was always strange waking in an unfamiliar setting, regardless of the circumstances in which you find yourself there. Still though, she always enjoyed the first few moments of waking up. The warmth of her bed had always been a comfort to her, ever since she was a little girl. The gentle sound of a songbird outside the window floated in gently, just barely reaching her ears. A very pretty, relaxing sound. She let herself listen and enjoy it as she stretched her limbs gently to work the night's kinks from her muscles, then after several minutes of gentle turning, she rolled over.

The man laying next to her was... unwelcome, to say the least. She hated arranged marriages, and she hated having to conform to them. She ran her eyes over his face, gazing upwards in his slumber as he lay on his back. She listened at the window; the battle would be picking back up outside the castle soon, and he had yet to even arise, let alone don his armor and get ready. Men could be so lazy. But then, she always woke before he did. He always commented on it, as if she did it just to please him, waking and getting their wash basins and clothing for the day ready. In truth, it was just natural for her.

Pulling back the covers, Zhen Ji placed her feet down gently on the floor, and shivered. The castle being the fortress that it was, everything was stone, and very little carpeting was to be found anywhere. She pulled her nightgown off over her head, then walked across to the room's wash basin. She filled it with clear water from a jug on the floor, then scrubbed the sleep from her face, and cleaned her teeth and washed her hands. She'd see about getting a proper bath tonight in the castle washrooms. She then crossed to the wardrobe. She lingered there for a few moments, deciding what to wear, eventually settling on a purple sequined dress that was casual enough to be comfortable in, yet practical enough to be socially appropriate. She pulled the matching stockings and slippers on, thankful for the reprieve from the stone floors, and then began running a brush through her hair. She took all the time she needed to fully don her favorite pieces of jewelry and string her customary purple and silver ribbons through her hair. Then she laid out his battle garb he wore beneath his armor, and once everything was in order, she went ahead and woke Yuan Xi.

He grunted from her gentle nudge on his arm, and it took a second slightly more firm nudge before he opened his eyes. Internally, she giggled; an entire regimen could have snuck up to their rooms and he would have been none the wiser. Such a deep sleeper he was, and took forever to wake on his own. His eyes went up to her face, and once sleep lifted enough for him to register it was her waking him, he smiled up at her.

"Good morning, my love!" his voice held an energy not matched by his body. He immediately attempted to move, his unstretched muscles knotting and his limbs jerking a little bit as he lurched up from the bed. She had to suppress another giggle as she watched the spectacle. He wouldn't enjoy knowing she was laughing at him. She covered her amusement by turning to the was basin and refilling it with water from the jug on the floor for him.

"Good morning, my husband." she replied calmly. "I have readied your garb for the day."

"Ah, such a dutiful wife you are!" It was at that point he would normally have grabbed at her. His nature was very grabby, his hands were all too fond of wandering about her body. However, this morning he seemed to have rolled out of bed the opposite direction, placing the bed between them, and she moved from the wash basin to the far corner where his armor was, and began piling it on the bed. Seeing her far to absorbed in the morning preparations for the day, he sighed a little disappointed and began pulling on his garb.

A knock came at the door just as he was getting himself covered. Zhen Ji opened it to find a servant standing there in the castle livery, head bowed. "Good morning, my lady. Lord Lu Bu requests the Yuan party's attendance at breakfast."

Zhen Ji opened her mouth to respond, but Yuan Xi's voice boomed out from the room behind her before she could say anything. "All right! Let him know we'll be right there!"

The servant bowed and hurried off. She allowed herself a moment for an annoyed look cast out into the hallway before she blanked her face and turned around. He let her deal with very little. It annoyed her to no end; she wasn't an infant! But she never let the annoyance show on her face, lest he take it as a slight. She went to his side as he was finishing up dressing, prepared to head down to breakfast, and found herself grabbed and pulled to him. She suppressed a sigh and let him amuse himself giving her kisses and running a hand over her. He hadn't used the wash basin, and she tried to keep her nose away from his face. What was it with men and believing marriage forgave all? Arranged marriages were worse; they seemed to all think as soon as the vows were over there was instant love and instant devotion.

When he finally let her go, she straightened her dress and hair as he pulled on the last of his armor, then she followed him out of the room and down to the grand hall. Unlike the night before, breakfast consisted mostly of dried rations. She was glad to see, however, that there was a little bit of cheese, as well as some local seasonal fruit to go around with it, however. She was not a fan of rations. Everyone seemed to just be helping themselves and sitting wherever, as most of the servants were engaged in the day's combat preparations, so she did the same, taking a few pieces of fruit and cheese. She turned from the serving table to find Yuan Xi not there. A quick glance about the room found him seated with a plate full of rations with his brothers clustered around Lu Bu. She sighed aloud, rather vexed. He was not a very attentive husband. There were times she could easily have ceased to exist and he'd have been none the wiser. She contemplated sitting with them briefly, but dismissed the notion. Better to take the reprieve when it presented itself. The rest of the room held no familiar faces to her, however, so she sat apart from them, but at a near by table, and began delicately eating her fruit.

Some time passed, her left to her own thoughts as she savored her meal, when she suddenly realized some one was approaching her. She looked up to find a very tall dashing man in full plate armor. He held a long glaive in one hand, and a plate of food in the other hand, but it seemed perfectly portioned of rations, cheese, and fruit, with no one favored extra or less than the others. She was unsure as to why this detail struck her, and she turned her gaze up to his face. He even wore his helm at a time like this, it's tall azure plume arching back behind him as a mane of hair might. He stood at the edge of the table and, with perfect balance, gave a full bow without so much as disturbing a single grape on his plate.

"Good morning, Lady Zhen Ji." he said formally, his voice deep and powerful. "I am Zhang Liao. Might I join you for the morning meal?"

Such manners. She wasn't used to someone as polite and confident yet not arrogant as he. Among the Yuan Court, everyone was arrogant and boastful, and most lacked a reason to be. This man was the exact opposite. It was... extremely refreshing. After several moments of contemplation, she realized she had been doing nothing but eyeing him critically, not even responding. He continued to stand there, however, unperturbed. She got the distinct impression that not much could ruffle this man's feathers.

"You may do as you wish." She gestured in acceptance, and she watched as he propped his glaive against an empty chair within easy reach and pulled one out for himself, sitting down and placing his plate before him. All of his movements were so... deliberate. She doubted he ever wasted a motion. She caught herself watching him again. He was very fascinating to her. It was almost a form of dance, she decided, which is why she enjoyed watching so much, as any other man might enjoy watching her dance. Minus the intense lust, that is.

Zhang Liao sat, eating methodically around his plate, one bite after the next. He broke the silence after a few moments. "Why do you stare at me so?" he asked. There was no offense in his voice, simply inquisitiveness.

She answered his question with one of her own. "Why is your plate so perfectly balanced?"

He looked down at his plate with a slight bit of puzzlement. "To what do you refer?"

"Most people favor certain foods over others." she gestured down at her own plate in example, with extra fruit and no rations. "Your plate contains exactly the same portions of each food offered, with no preference given."

"A warrior must nourish his body in order to adequately perform on the field of battle." he said simply.

"Without allowing himself to enjoy his meal?"

"My enjoyment does not lie in food. Nourishment is simply necessary to maintain one's body."

Zhen Ji couldn't stop her giggle this time. She covered her mouth as it escaped her lips, looking at him amused but hoping she didn't offend. The look on his face again held no offense, however. Simply curious, he cocked his head at her. "I am aware that some of my mannerisms are... unusual."

"Yet refreshing." she smiled at him. "And why is it you choose to sit over here with me, Lord Zhang Liao, rather than at the table with Lord Lu Bu and the Yuan family?"

Zhang Liao cast a distasteful glance behind him as Yuan Shu was gesturing at the air mightily, obviously relating some feat of prowess or another. His brothers were caught up in it, cheering with him; Lu Bu looked unimpressed. Zhang Liao snorted. "I have no use for baseless posturing." he turned his gaze back to her. "And why do you choose to sit apart from your husband's side?"

Zhen Ji met his gaze. She took a moment before responding, "For the same reason, I suppose." She was not referring to Yuan Shu's story or the morning's activities, and she could see in Zhang Liao's eyes and the way he nodded his head that he caught her meaning.

"You look directly into my eyes quite a lot, Lady Zhen Ji. Not demure at all." It was not a slight, simply a statement of fact. He spoke directly, no hidden meanings.

"The face, and especially the eyes, can tell you everything about a person. I have a gift at reading peoples' eyes."

"A very valuable gift." He nodded in approval, and said no more.

The rest of their meal passed in silence, but it was a comfortable silence. Zhang Liao sat mechanically cleaning his plate while she ate her fruit. It wasn't long before Lu Bu stood and declared they should be forming up their lines, and everyone but the servants rose to depart for the field. Zhang Liao rose and gave her a full bow. "By your pardon, my lady."

"I am neither your lady nor your superior. You do not require my pardon."

Zhang Liao held his bow, saying nothing, merely waiting for her pardon. She had a sudden sadistic thought of letting him stay there until he gave up and decided to go. As amusing as that would have been, however, she decided now was not the appropriate time for such antics, besides which she had a feeling he wouldn't give up.

"You may go. And I wish you luck in today's battle."

"I do not believe in luck." Not a boast, simply another statement. And with that, he lifted his glaive and turned to depart. As he left, he delivered another surprise as he took his empty plate with him. Rather than leave it as all the other men had for the servants to clean up after him, he set it down in the dish cart as he passed. She wondered if she ended up around him for any length of time in the future if such surprises would become commonplace with him.

As soon as everyone had filed out of the room, she got up. She deposited her empty plate in the dish cart as well, then hurried up to her room. She always had a separate room apart from Yuan Xi for her own personal things, but what he didn't know was that among those things was a set of light maiden's battle armor, a whip, and an enchanted flute that she used for more than just playing songs. Yuan Xi forbade her to participate in combat, and it was partly that which made her do so without his knowledge. She would never allow any man to forbid her anything just because she was a woman!

As she was rushing up to her room, she rounded a corner that continued one way down a hallway, but opened up the other way into an open sky garden. As she was rushing past she happened to catch a glimpse of a woman sitting alone out in the garden. A lovely tune was echoing through it and into the hallway, and she couldn't help but stop as she was rushing past and take another look. It was Diao Chan, the beautiful woman from last night, sitting on a stone bench facing away from the hallway, with a small harp balanced on her knees. It was then that Zhen Ji realized that Diao Chan had not been at breakfast. She doubtless would have been at Lu Bu's side. Had she been hiding up here? The melody she was tugging out of the harp's strings was enrapturing. It fit Diao Chan's beauty so well that she had no doubt the woman had composed it herself. So beautiful, so entrancing was the scene of Diao Chan in the garden playing on her harp that Zhen Ji completely forgot about joining the battle. There could have been no battle, no castle or armies around her at all, so entranced was she by Diao Chan. She had been similarly captivated last night, but this was different. Now she could take her time to watch. The gentle breeze ruffled the flowers and bushes around Diao Chan, but seemed not to touch her at all as she swayed with her song.

What was this she was feeling? Never had she been as enthralled with anyone before as she was at that moment. She didn't understand, but she had to explore it further. All thoughts of her plan of weapons and armor discarded, she slowly eased her way ever so slowly into the garden and sat gently on a separate bench, careful not to disturb Diao Chan and her song. She wanted to take as long as possible to just listen, to burn the memory of this scene into her mind forever. She sat and simply watched and listened as the beautiful song caressed her ears with it's notes, teased out of the harp by Diao Chan and her exquisite talent.

Being a songstress herself, Zhen Ji was able to pick up the subtle shift in the song as it changed from one to another, a slower, more melancholy tune. It was still beautiful, the notes now being plucked deliberately out of the harp rather than teased out, they weaved a tune that brought tears to her eyes before she realized they were brimming up. She pulled a handkerchief and dabbed them away they as they came, unbidden in silent response to Diao Chan's mesmerizing playing. This tune could be felt deep down, and such was the skill with which Diao Chan played that you could feel every note before the next came, in a seamless weaving of notes into song, making you feel without thinking.

The song seemed to go on forever, time standing still, and so caught up in it was she that she was left with the feeling that one always seems to have when immersed in a song that suddenly ends, a jolting dump back into reality, the air feeling stark and empty without the notes filling it. So abrupt was the ending a soft little moan of protest escaped her lips before she knew it had. She put a hand to her mouth in surprise as Diao Chan's head whipped around, startled by the sudden unexpected sound. They both froze, looking at each other with surprise on their faces.

Diao Chan broke the silence first. "Lady Zhen Ji... I uh... what a surprise." She flushed for some reason, a faint crimson tint painting her cheeks. She couldn't help but think it was cute.

Ji lowered her hand, composing herself. "My apologies, Lady Diao Chan. I should have announced myself, but I was so entranced by your playing. I did not mean to interrupt you."

"No, it's all right. I..." She paused, gave a little sigh. She seemed so vexed. At first, Ji thought it was her, but as she looked in to Diao Chan's eyes, she could tell the source was not her. She was troubled by something else, and was here avoiding it. Without knowing it, Ji had intruded upon her haven, had unintentionally disturbed a rare solitude this woman was not often able to get.

"What's wrong?" Ji narrowed her eyes slightly, wanting instinctively to help, to reach out to this woman and protect her; not a feeling she often had with most, let alone strangers. Diao Chan looked up, puzzlement entering her expression to find that she would so easily delve into her personal life. Diao Chan's eyes held puzzlement, and something more... a desire to open up, but a hesitance with it. She knew nothing of Ji, after all.

Diao Chan sighed and shook her head. "It's... nothing." She turned her head away, gazing out over the garden. She took a deep breath... and then suddenly her face was blank. Ji frowned a little, unsure how it just happened. Diao Chan's face was expressionless, but there was something more than that. She had wrapped herself in a veil which Ji could not read through. She felt suddenly off key, as someone might feel a sudden disorientation upon stumbling just before the actual physical trip happened. She'd never encountered someone she could not read before. However, as flustering as it was, she found herself intrigued. Who was this woman that could so easily mask herself? And what sorts of inner turmoil must she be dealing with to cause her to have to hide behind such a mask?

It was obvious to Ji that Diao Chan did not wish to talk about it, and as much as she wanted to pursue it, she didn't want to pry. She stood up, straightening her dress. "Well, if you feel like talking, Lady Diao Chan, I'll be-" She cut off mid word as she sensed someone walking up behind her. She turned to see another woman coming in to the garden. She was slightly shorter than Ji herself was, dressed in leathers due to the battle going on with her hair pulled back in a tight tail. She bent her knee politely to Ji, then turned to Diao Chan.

"What is it, Wen Cai?" Diao Chan asked.

"Word just came back from the front lines. Cao Cao has received additional reinforcements, and more may be on the way. Our position is not looking good. Even with Lord Yuan Shu's help, we may lose this battle."

Zhen Ji expected Diao Chan to make some sort of exclamation at this, but her composure did not crack in the least. "Everyone will do their best, I'm sure."

"Lord Chen Gong is suggesting several tactics, and also ways to improve troop morale, one of which is to have you perform tonight after evening meal."

Diao Chan clicked her tongue. "Chen Gong..." Her eyes flashed with distaste, the only slip in her composure, but it was gone so quickly it would not have been noticeable to most. To Ji though, it spoke volumes. Her heart ached for this woman. Diao Chan gazed back at Wen Cai. "I do not feel like dancing."

"Will they give you a choice?"

"No. I suppose not..." She paused, thinking.

Ji stepped forward. "If I might interject, Lady Diao Chan. I would offer my help."

Diao Chan's gaze shifted to her. "What sort of help?"

"I play as well. Perhaps I could play for you tonight as you dance, and then afterward we switch and you play for me. I know what it's like, how even though a performer can be on stage with all eyes on them and still feel alone. This way, I'll be with you. You won't be alone."

Their eyes locked, and Ji was slightly surprised to feel her heart flutter, gazing into the bottomless depth of Diao Chan's eyes. It did not show on her face, of course. Diao Chan was not the only one with an iron composure.

"We've never played together before, and we have almost no time to rehearse. It may go badly, or fall flat."

A defiant look came over Ji's face. "It will not be a bad performance. It will go beautifully."

That night, a weary and disheartened army under the combined command of Lu Bu and Yuan Shu returned to the castle of Xia Pi. They had their evening meals, and as they were finishing up, wine was passed around to help everyone relax as a raised stage was positioned and secured at one end of the banquet hall. Half of the lights were put out to dim the hall and set a mood, and Zhen Ji accompanied Diao Chan onto the stage. Zhen Ji sat on a cushion and took up her flute, and began to play a slow yet entrancing melody, which Diao Chan found herself wrapped within. Zhen Ji was so skilled with her flute that her playing pierced the hearts not only of every soldier in the room, but also of Diao Chan herself. Her feet and hips moved almost of their own accord as Diao Chan swayed across the platform, her every movement exquisite and beautiful. The show was utterly entrancing, as time itself even seemed to stop to watch. And when the time came for them to trade places, Zhen Ji found herself in the same state she had been in earlier that day as she had watched Diao Chan play her harp in the gardens, but now it was here. She felt the same way Diao Chan did, and for the next several hours they both lost themselves in the others' music. They put forth their hearts for the other through their playing, as music has a way of baring the soul, and a bond began to form, hidden feelings within themselves surfacing for the other as the emotional undercurrent grew. The entire evening melted away as they fooled every single soldier in the room into believing they were performing for them. And when it was finally all over, and everyone cheered and drank more wine and the two women slipped out of the room and rushed back to Diao Chan's hidden room from last night, their emotions running high and their hearts racing, only the two of them knew the truth; that they had not been performing for the soldiers, they had been playing and dancing only for each other. Neither wanted to return to a bed they shared with a man they did not truly want to be with, and so they hid for the night. They did not speak, for words now would be redundant and could not help to further express themselves. Indeed, words after such an intimate exchange of the music and dance would have taken something away from the experience. And so they simply hid in the private room together, and eventually drifted off to sleep, happy simply for the companionship; happy not to be alone.


	3. Chapter 3 Rage

Author's Note: Whew! Been quite a while since Chapter 2! I moved and there was a delay getting internet set up! So a big blah to that! But hopefully putting up Chapter 3 with a little extra length will make up for it! Yay! Have some twists and turns, and a cliff hanger! Oooooh! Let me know what you all think, and I'll start working on Chapter 4 soon!

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Lu Bu's fist impacted the head table in the dining hall of Xia Pi castle with such force the wood creaked and several cups tipped over to spill their contents out as he stood up, growling and wild eyed as he did. The servant he was staring down flinched visibly as Lu Bu towered over him, and all conversations of those near by died as everyone got quiet so as not to draw the attention of the angry Lu Bu.

"What do you mean you don't know where she is?" Lu Bu's voice carried through the entire hall.

The servant wrung his hands anxiously. "Sh-she's not in her room, my lord." He was stammering now. "A-a-and sh-she didn't rep-p-port for duty this morning during b-b-battle m-muster."

Lu Bu bellowed aloud, "Well FIND her! Diao Chan has not been by my side for three days! She can't have just disappeared!" The servant stumbled out a bow and nearly tripped over nothing as he turned and fled Lu Bu's anger. "SOME one must have SOME idea where she is!" Lu Bu cast his eyes about those in the hall, looking for anyone who might clue him in. Every one's heads turned to avoid his gaze as his eyes came level to theirs while his stare arched around the room. "She has several hand maidens! Her head hand maid should know something! Where is she? Where is Wen Cai?"

Wen Cai was, in fact, present in the dining hall for the morning meal, and flinched when Lu Bu's gaze whirled around to spot her. She managed to cover it by standing, however, and attempted to square her shoulders back as Lu Bu lumbered up to her. She had not really been lying to Diao Chan when she had said she was not afraid of Lu Bu, not exactly. She was afraid of the pain he could inflict, to be sure, but all men had a weakness. She just wasn't sure what Lu Bu's could be or how to take advantage of it. And that aside, she wasn't as experienced at fighting as she led others to believe.

"Where is she, Wen Cai?" He narrowed his eyes at her, biting off each word.

"I do not know." she replied.

Lu Bu Growled. "Don't give me that! You are the head of her hand maids! You have always known where she was in the past!"

"I respect my lady's privacy when she wishes to be alone, my lord. And so should you." she looked him in the eye with as much defiance as she could manage.

Lu Bu roared and pulled his fist back. Wen Cai couldn't stop a small moan from leaving her lips in anticipation of the back of his fist hitting her jaw, and she squeezed her eyes shut...

The strike never came. After a few moments, she cracked an eye to see what had happened, then gasped. Zhang Liao was beside them, Lu Bu's fist caught mid-swing in the air in his hand. The two men were staring each other down, Lu Bu's face twisted in an angry sneer, Zhang Liao's completely calm and composed. Both mens' eyes held an intensity as fierce as a falling star; Lu Bu's exploding in anger as bright as one, and Zhang Liao's a cold blue flame, no less blazing yet cool and collected. The intensity radiating off of either man could have been enough to smelt steel in fire hotter than the hottest forge as they pressed in against each other.

"Release me, Zhang Liao." There was a dangerous tone in Lu Bu's voice; a tone so threatening that other men in the past had been paralyzed by it; one that lesser men had been reduced to gibbering cowards by as Lu Bu's blazing anger washed over them the way molten fire washes over rock. Zhang Liao did not even flinch, however, his plate armor glinting in the morning light flooding into the dining hall. Zhang Liao was anything but a lesser man.

"I will not."

"This does not concern you!" Lu Bu's voice rose, and any weaker man would have soiled himself under the intense gaze of the mighty Lu Bu; some merely watching may have as it was. But Zhang Liao held fast, his calm demeanor not cracking in the slightest.

"I'm afraid it does. You are not behaving honorably. A true warrior does not strike a woman, let alone an unarmed opponent."

"I shall strike whoever I please!" Lu Bu roared, his other fist whipping around towards Zhang Liao's head, the metal tips of his armored knuckles whistling through the air with the force of the swing. His gauntleted fist clanged loudly against Zhang Liao's as he easily deflected the blow, however; Lu Bu was off balance with his main hand caught up in Zhang Liao's grip. Another moment found the two straining against each other, their muscles flexing hard as Lu Bu attempted to over power Zhang Liao's grip on him, both braced with their weight leaning into the other, strength on strength.

If Zhang Liao was having a difficult time of it, he did not show it. Later, there would undoubtedly be much speculation among those who had witnessed this scene as to who would have won that power struggle had it gone on very long. Some would even claim to have seen sparks, or the floor stones cracking, or radiating power auras or the like. However, Zhang Liao spoke into the silence, masking any strain he may have been experiencing with a calm voice.

"My Lord, if you truly only wish to find Lady Diao Chan's whereabouts, then I myself will help to locate her. However, I would ask that you take a few moments to collect yourself."

Lu Bu glared at Zhang Liao over their struggle, but the fire in his eyes slowly burned down, and the two released each other and stood straight. Lu Bu did not even look at Wen Cai as he stared at Zhang Liao, her now forgotten in his mind, for which she was grateful. She took the moment of reprieve and slipped off out of view between a few soldiers and made her way to the back of the dining hall.

"Every now and then you remind me why I keep you around, Zhang Liao. Few men have the spine to stand up to me when it's needed."

Zhang Liao said nothing, merely nodded his head.

"However, we'll have to resolve this later tonight. For today, I'll need you on the front lines, not harrying around the castle after my woman."

"As you wish, my lord." Zhang Liao agreed, putting fist in hand and bowing his head by way of salute.

The entire dining hall took that as a sign to head out to the lines for battle, everyone already murmuring to each other behind hands and in hushed tones of what had happened, not letting their voices carry beyond the ear of the man next to them, and very shortly the hall was empty of all but servants. Wen Cai had not moved, keeping still to avoid notice, and after everyone was gone, she ran off to find her mistress.

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Morning light streamed in through the window of Diao Chan's third hidden room. She'd randomly chosen a new one each night, to help keep it hidden lest someone were to see them sneaking off to it. This room was in the farthest end of the East Wing, and the window itself held a wonderful view of the eastern countryside, spoiled somewhat by the armies massed around it. The only view Zhen Ji was interested in however was that of Diao Chan, laying in bed beside her. She was still asleep, and the morning sunlight spilling in from that eastern facing window pooled around Diao Chan, framing her in a halo of light. It was so picturesque that Ji could not stop gazing at her.

They had slept in each others company these past nights, simply staying up late talking until they were too sleepy to remain awake, then falling asleep. That was the whole of it, but it was still an extremely precious time to both women. Zhen Ji was always awake first, as was usual for her, and as Ji gazed down at her companion's sleeping face, she thought deeply about what was developing between them. Three days of talking and sharing each others' company, exchanging thoughts, feelings, and secrets. This could be normal for two fast developing friends... could be, if they were young girls. But as adult women... young adults to be sure, but still...

Ji reached over and brushed smooth some of the wrinkles in Diao Chan's hair with one finger, toying with some of the delicate strands coiled on the pillow beside her head. This was a feeling she had never had - could never have - with her husband. This was something few men ever truly understood, and some women, for that matter. She wasn't sure she herself fully understood what was going on. All she really knew for sure was that Diao Chan had, in just three short days, become the most important person in her life. She had no one else with which she could confide, few other friends, only one other real friend, and she could never feel this with him... These were feelings of a nature she had never before experienced, but which excited her, and drove her onwards to wanting more, despite the uncertainty. She wanted more, had to have more...

Diao Chan's eyes fluttered open, and her lips parted in a delicate, tiny yawn. She looked up at Ji, propped up above her against a pillow and the headboard, and smiled widely. Such a genuine and beautiful smile, Ji had absolutely no doubt Diao Chan felt the same way; she also doubted this was a smile Lu Bu never got. Such a wonderful feeling. She could have basked in that smile all day.

Diao Chan stretched and lifted herself up on her elbows, the halo of light around her bouncing off her dark brown hair. "Have you been awake long?"

Ji shook her head. "Not long."

Diao Chan's smile widened. "You're lying."

Ji giggled. "Okay, maybe a little while, but I didn't mind."

"You were watching me sleep again."

"I was."

"What is it about me sleeping you find so fascinating?" Diao Chan asked, a cute little curious look coming over her face.

Ji gazed at her, still appreciating the scene of her in the light. "You look so peaceful in your sleep. Nothing like a man would look. My husband is so fitful in his sleep."

"Hm, sounds nice." Diao Chan stretched her muscles one after the other, working the kinks out her of sleepy limbs in much the same way Zhen Ji herself does when she wakes up. Such a stark contrast to Yuan Xi and his habit of immediately lurching to his feet while his limbs jerked fitfully. She looked up to see Ji still gazing at her. "You're watching me still." her smile came back.

"I can't help it."

"Hm. If it's as fascinating as all that, perhaps I should watch you sleep."

"By all means, if you should wake up before I do."

The two women paused suddenly and looked at each other, eyes probing deeply into the others. They found in that moment that they had both just taken that for a given fact. That they were both fully ready to wake up with each other every morning, as if that was the plan from then on. It certainly couldn't have been... could it? Such a strange and foreign though, for two women to share a bed every night. At the same time though, it wasn't a bad thought to either of them. In fact, they both found it to be a pleasant idea, little tingles creeping up their backs with the anticipation of it. No further words on the subject passed between them, however they both knew instinctively that the other was thinking the same.

A sudden knock pierced the precious moment the two were having, forcing the mood in the room to change in a flash from magical to horrified. The thought of being caught terrified them both. Not that they thought what they were doing was wrong, just that they both feared the reactions from the men in their lives. Jealousy was an ugly thing, and all the more frightening at the thought of coming from a large and ferocious man.

The knock sounded again, but this time a voice accompanied it. "My lady? It's Wen Cai. Are you in there?"

The mood changed again, this time from fear to relief. Diao Chan spoke up, "Yes, Wen Cai. Come in."

Ji's eyes widened in surprise as the door cracked to admit Wen Cai, who also looked slightly surprised to see Ji there. Diao Chan looked unconcerned, however. She looked at the narrowed eyes of her companion and made a small comforting motion toward her.

"Do not worry, Wen Cai has always had my complete trust and confidence. She's always been there to help me, even in my darkest hours."

Ji still looked somewhat dubious, yet she nodded slowly, trusting her word, as Diao Chan turned back to Cai, gesturing for her to continue, which she did, an ever so slight strain in her tone as she spoke.

"Lord Lu Bu is very angry. He made a huge ordeal at morning meal that you have not been with him for three days. He asked me if I knew where you were, and when I told him to respect your privacy, he nearly struck me."

Diao Chan's eyes widened as Ji's narrowed. "Did he miss? That is not like Lord Lu Bu."

"No, Lord Zhang Liao stopped him, intervening on my behalf before the blow could land."

A small smile touched Ji's lips. "Zhang Liao..."

Diao Chan looked at Zhen Ji curiously, "Do you know him?"

"Oh no, we shared a table at morning meal a few days ago. He was an extremely interesting man." Her smirk widened.

A look came over Diao Chan's face. Ji blinked as her face showed... jealousy? Had things really progressed that far between them?

"So..." Diao Chan's voice was very slightly strained as she spoke. "So... does that mean he is someone of... prospects... for you?"

The look on Diao Chan's face struck a cord in her heart deeper than she had thought possible, and Ji answered before she thought, "No, I've already found my prospects."

The two stopped and looked at each other, another one of those unspoken understanding moments passing between them as Wen Cai looked on, slightly baffled as to what was going on. Yet as she watched, studied the looks in their eyes as they gazed upon each other, she suddenly knew, as one friend might see love developing between two other friends before either of them sees it. Wen Cai put a hand over her mouth as the realization dawned upon her, clicking into place the puzzle pieces from the last few days; why Diao Chan had been absent from Lu Bu's side, why the two had been staying up together all hours of the night, even the performance from the banquette a few nights before as they played with such emotion that touched every soul in attendance. It was unthinkable though, wasn't it? Two women? But was it really that far fetched? She had to admit, if silently to herself only, that she had gazed in curiosity at other women in the public bath house before, but that was different... wasn't it?

The motion of Wen Cai raising her hand to her mouth made Zhen Ji and Diao Chan both turn their gazes to her. Slowly she lowered her hand and composure returned to her face, yet the surprise had registered and they were all now silently considering the implications. It was no small matter, yet it would have to wait.

Diao Chan cleared her throat. "Well... for now, we should head down to the dining hall and see if we can pick up something for our breakfast at least, as we missed morning meal."

"Only because someone slept through it." Ji teased her, and Diao Chan nudged her with an elbow. Diao Chan and Zhen Ji stood and began changing into the spare dresses they had brought with them the night before; Ji in her customary shades of purple silk and Diao Chan her favored pinks and whites. They helped each other lace ribbons through their hair and tie hard to reach ties. After several minutes the three of them were heading down to the dining hall. However, they would never make it there.

A loud crash of stone crunching on stone suddenly ripped through the air accompanied by the din of shouts and screams of soldiers, followed by a rumble vibrating through the walls of the fortress itself. Alarmed, the three of them ran to the nearest window of the keep in the direction the crash had come from, just in time to see a huge catapult boulder resting in the main courtyard near where a section of the defensive wall had been. The breach was huge and and throngs of enemy troops were vaulting up and over the mass amounts of debris strewn everywhere and pouring into the courtyard. They watched in shock, unable to move, as a dozen defensive squads charged up to cover the breach while several engineer units came up the wall in an attempt to set up some sort of barricade.

They were not sure how long they watched, transfixed by the scene below until a messenger came running through the hall shouting an alarm due to the breach, calling anyone still in the keep out to the battle to reinforce the defensive squads. Diao Chan suddenly paled as a realization dawned on her, and Zhen Ji quickly picked up on her discomfort.

"What's wrong?"

"That section down there... the one that was hit... it's my section. I didn't report for battle muster this morning. I wasn't at my post..."

Ji was already shaking her head, "You can't blame yourself for this. That is foolishness. You can't really think that your presence would have prevented that catapult shot."

Diao Chan winced, "I..."

Ji shushed her gently. "Look, we can at least react reasonably. Lets head down there with the reinforcements. We can at least help hold the line."

Diao Chan took a deep breath and nodded. "You're right. We can at least do that." After taking a moment to compose herself, she looked to Wen Cai. "We need you to retrieve our weapons, and then meet us down at the courtyard."

Wen Cai nodded and rushed off towards their rooms as Ji and Diao Chan turned and hurried off the other way, towards the stairs that would lead them down to the lower level and then out to the courtyard. They ran through the archway out into the hectic din of men fighting, a fine haze of dust still hanging thick in the air from the destroyed stone and rubble scattered everywhere. They stopped short and looked around, helpless without weapons with which to fight, watching as more and more enemy soldiers came through the massive breach. The engineer teams that had been attempting to set up barricades to stem the flow of enemy reinforcements had been slain early on, and there seemed to be no end to the flood coming through the hole.

What could they do? They both cast their gazes around helplessly, trying in vain to size up the situation to find some way to help. They hadn't stopped to think that without weapons with which to fight they couldn't actually engage the enemy soldiers before running down to help. In actuality only moments had really passed, yet in the moment, to the two of them, it seemed like Wen Cai should have been back with their weapons ages ago. They looked on as men fought and died in the courtyard below them, clutching each others' hands for support.

Suddenly, as Ji cast her gaze upwards, she had an idea. The hole in the wall was on one side of a section that had watch towers on either end, and the hole was right next to one of those watch towers, which now no longer had the support of the bricks and mortar that used to be where the hole was now. In fact, the entire tower was leaning ever so slightly towards the hole...

Ji cast her gaze about for what she would need, her head swinging side to side as she searched. Diao Chan looked up at her curiously, sensing her heightened state of action.

"What is it?" Diao Chan asked her.

"Is there a balista or other siege machine near by?"

Diao Chan blinked in confusion. "I don't think so... the one for this section of the wall seems to have been destroyed in that catapult shot."

Ji cursed under her breath, then caught sight of a mobile battering ram just on the other side of the breach. "That's it! I can use that battering ram!"

"What-?"

"Can you get on top of that wall? Opposite side from that tower?" She pointed to indicate the leaning tower.

"I uh... yeah. I can, but why-?"

"No time to explain! Just do it! And find a rope or something once you're up there!"

Ji turned and sprinted towards the breach. Diao Chan called out after her, but Ji was so fast that she lost sight of her after a few moments through the press of fighting soldiers. Diao Chan blinked uncertainly, but only for just a moment. She turned and went a different way, running over to the side a ways to skirt as much of the fight as she could, and then she dashed through towards the wall. This was her post, she knew it's layout well. There was a door in the wall beneath the opposite tower that was still intact which she could go in through to get up on top of the wall. It was just a matter of dodging several fighting enemies as she ran, which didn't prove all that difficult.

Once she reached the door she yanked it open and ran through, looking around the bottom tower room for a rope. She found one and grabbed it, then ran up the stairs to wall height and ran out the door on to the top of the wall. It was at that moment she realized she didn't have any idea what to do from there. She looked about anxiously and spotted the battering ram down below outside of the walls, and gasped. Ji had managed to pick up a discarded short sword and had made it up on to the battering ram. She'd taken out the driver and managed to get the mules inside moving and was steering it towards the wall...

Diao Chan looked over at the damaged tower opposite the hole in the wall from her, and it was then that her plan suddenly sank in. She ran over as close to the edge of the hole as she dared, then she braced against an arrow guard stone as she waited.

It wasn't a very long wait. The battering ram was moving with the tide of the soldiers flooding towards the hole, and most of Cao Cao and Liu Bei's forces probably assumed it was moving forward to help with the siege. Ji was able to move it up next to the damaged tower without a hitch. She positioned it at an opposite angle to the tower, and after laboring at the massive hand crank for a moment to pull it back, she hit the lever to release it.

The ram impacted the tower squarely and the stone cracked and gave way. The resulting crash of stone falling was just as deafening as the initial catapult shot had been. The stone of the wall trembled beneath Diao Chan as the earth shook beneath it from the impact as the tower toppled over and crashed to the ground. The tower fell almost exactly as Ji had hoped it would, collapsing in to the hole, effectively sealing it up and smashing any enemies that happened to be beneath it as it fell into place within the gap of the wall. Dust kicked up everywhere from the impact, blinding her as she held on to keep from falling. It was a brilliant plan; the loss of the tower to house a couple of archers was more than worth it for the sealing up of the hole in the wall, not to mention trapping any enemy units inside the courtyard as an added bonus. It wasn't a perfect fix of course, yet with their engineer teams slain it was effective, and far more defensible than a few barricades. It was a good temporary fix.

Shaking her head to clear her vision, Diao Chan gazed down at the ram. Zhen Ji had jumped down from it and was running over to stand beneath her. Without further pause, she held firmly on to one of the rope and dropped the other end over the wall for Ji, who grabbed on to it as soon as it was dangling down. Lifting herself hand over hand, she began to climb up the rope, wall walking upwards.

The only warning they had of something amis was the snort and nearly silent whinny from the horses of the cavalry unit that suddenly came trotting around the corner. Their green bands identified them as soldiers with Liu Bei's forces, and they spotted the Lady Zhen climbing the rope without any difficulty. As if that had been their entire purpose in the first place, they charged directly at her. Diao Chan could do nothing but gaze on in horror as the lead mounted man reached up and caught her around the middle as she was climbing, plucking her from the air and off the rope as smoothly as one might pull an apple from a low hanging tree branch. Diao Chan screamed aloud as the cavalry unit wheeled around and galloped off from the castle, Ji attempting to squirm free of the unit captain's grasp as he rode away with her. Diao Chan looped the rope around the guard stone she was standing against, knowing that she would be far too late by the time she got down to the ground, but she couldn't stop herself from climbing down the wall with the rope anyway. She was blinded by grief and anger and wanted to give chase, and as soon as her feet hit the soil she turned to run after the horsemen.

"DIAO CHAN!"

The shout stopped her in her tracks, and she whirled around to see Lu Bu charging towards her atop Red Hare. It wasn't until then that her knees gave out and she would have collapsed if Lu Bu hadn't caught her and hoisted her up into his saddle with him.

"Diao Chan! I'm so glad you're alright! When I got word that your post had been hit, I feared for the worst and came right away. You hadn't reported for duty this morning, yet I knew you'd be here. It's okay, there's no need to cry."

She hadn't even realized she'd been weeping until he'd said it. She couldn't stop gazing in the direction that Ji had been taken. She babbled at him trying to explain, but she couldn't get the words out, and she cursed herself for a weakling. This wasn't the time to be crying! And she certainly wouldn't have been if it had been Lu Bu himself that had been taken. The fact that it was Zhen Ji put a completely different spin on it. Somehow the two of them had formed such a strong bond in such a short space of time that this was excruciating to bear.

She finally managed to get out what had happened, and he looked at her oddly.

"So Lady Zhen has been captured?"

Diao Chan nodded, tears running silently down her cheeks.

Lu Bu paused. "And THAT'S why you're crying?"

She nodded again.

"That's not a big deal. It's unlikely they will kill her. They may violate her at worst, but she's too valuable a prisoner to kill. They will likely attempt a prisoner exchange with us for her."

Diao Chan stared at him, her mouth agape. "How can you talk about this so coldly?"

"What would you have me say? She's just Yuan Xi's woman! He'll likely get her back."

"We could go after her! We could save her!"

"Why would we do that? The prisoner exchange would be a better way to go about it."

"I can't believe you!" she shouted at him.

"Why is she that important to you anyway?" Lu Bu shouted back.

The question caught her completely off guard. She stared at him, anger in her face and tears in her eyes. She had no answer for him. She couldn't even answer that question to herself. All she knew for certain was that Zhen Ji really was that important to her. She had no answer for the why of it.

"Well?" Lu Bu prompted her.

"I don't know! We've gotten close the last few days!"

Lu Bu's face darkened, and Diao Chan suddenly realized what she had said without thinking.

Lu Bu's angry bellow echoed against the castle walls. "You've been avoiding me for the last three days to spend time with her?"

Diao Chan fell silent. There was nothing she could say. She turned her face away from his.

"ANSWER ME!"

"What answer do you want?"

"How could you do that? I won't have this! It's not like she's of any special relation to you! I AM YOUR MAN! You WILL honor me!"

No special relation to her? That was wrong. She might not have had the why of it, but she knew that was dead wrong. Lu Bu rode back to the castle gates with her, raving about faithfulness as though she had been disloyal to him in some way. She made no further responses to him, riding in silence. She could only think of Lady Zhen, and how he could never understand.

Prisoner exchanges happened only after battles were over, and only if both sides came out the other end of it prior to another battle. That could be weeks, assuming they didn't lose completely. Lu Bu rode up to the castle gates giving her curt orders to go clean up and change while he gathered their forces, and she nodded her acceptance without fulling listening to him. As he turned to ride away, she had already made up her mind. She went to find Wen Cai to make plans.

She would rescue Zhen Ji. She would rescue her, or she would die trying.


	4. Chapter 4 Rescue

Sorry for the long wait everyone! But to make up for it, we have the first love scene! Yay! I think it went super well, but as always I appreciate feedback!

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"Are you sure I can't come with you, mistress?" Wen Cai asked yet again. She seemed to pay absolutely no mind to her hands wringing at her waist.

Diao Chan sighed as she made sure everything was in place. She'd briefly considered wearing armor, but had dismissed this idea as impractical. Armor would only hinder her natural agility, and she would need every edge she could get. So she looked at herself in her full length mirror clad all in black leathers, blinking slowly. Any other day she might have found this outfit ridiculous or maybe a little intriguing, but right now all she could think was that she hoped the black full body suit would hide her from as many eyes as possible. At least it hid her whip well, coiled on a hook on her belt at her side. She'd also decided not to take her maces, as they were bulky and if Zhen Ji was hurt, she wouldn't be able to use them while helping Ji out of the enemy camp at the same time. Oh gods, she hoped she wasn't hurt... the thought chilled her to the core.

"I'm sure, Wen Cai. I understand your concerns, but one person can more easily go where two could not."

"I know, but..." she trailed off, unable to come up with a more reasonable objection beyond 'but I wanna!'

The rest of her getting ready went on in silence. Diao Chan turned to her wardrobe and removed a small bundle from the back and unrolled it on her bed. Inside was an array of small knives, weighted and balanced specifically to her hands. She went about tucking these on her person; two in each boot, three just above each wrist, two on either side on her belt, and one tucked up over either shoulder so that they were hidden along the tops of her shoulder blades. After that was done, she took out a short black linen kerchief and tucked it behind her belt. She took a few moments to double check that everything was in place, then closed her wardrobe and turned to Wen Cai.

Wen Cai blinked at her mistress. "You look... very intimidating."

Diao Chan once again reflected that any other day she might have found this odd, or at least giggled. Right now, however, all she could do was nod.

"Good." She glanced out the window of her bedroom, at the darkness of the just fallen night outside, but more importantly, at the distant lights of the campfires and torches of Liu Bei's camp. She wasn't stupid, she knew this was a desperate play. Her chances of finding Ji in that camp in one night while staying completely hidden were slim at best, nonexistent at worst, but she was determined to try.

As she walked out of her room, she had to admit to herself that 'determined' was probably not the right word for what she was feeling. 'Desperate,' 'panicked,' 'crazy,' ... these were all probably better words for it. But she couldn't stand by and do nothing. She simply had to save her. Whatever was developing between the two of them was too important, too strong, too powerful to ignore now. She had to rescue her so that they could continue to have whatever they were becoming. That was the whole of it.

The moon was bright and the stars shone like tiny diamonds on a black satin cloth. The soft light they shed cast a faint glow on the scattered trees and infrequent crags of rocky outcroppings that scattered themselves across the plains of the battlefield. Luckily they made for ample amounts of cover, and it proved no difficulty to duck from one to the next staying out of view. The battlefield itself had hillside dips here and there as well, providing even more cover. Diao Chan doubted very much that even a single soldier saw her slip from cover to cover making her way from the Xia Pi Fortress to Liu Bei's camp.

She quickly found out that Cao Cao and Liu Bei weren't fools. The camp entrances were set up so you had to approach them from uphill, so that anyone approaching could be easily spotted and identified. Liu Bei wasn't exactly expecting visitors, however, and his camp wasn't set up to receive any... which made it perfect for her purposes. She stopped well back from the base of the hill the main entrance was set up on, then skirted around to the east side of it. She kept just barely out of visible range as she followed the temporary war wall down into a dip in the terrain. Once she came around towards the back of the camp well out of view of any gate, she began looking for a catch or chink in the wall. Spotting what she was looking for, she made sure that all her black leather was covering all exposed skin, then laid down on her belly and shimmied her way along a rock crag until she reached the right spot. Taking out a knife from a wrist sheath, she used it as a wedge to widen the gap enough to get her hands in, re-sheathed the knife, then pulled with a grunt, producing a large enough space to wiggle through. She put her head in first to glance around for guards. Spotting one, she aimed carefully, and was certain that the guard never even knew of the blade that blossomed in his neck. Another quick check around revealed only the back of a tent, so she slid her body through and crouched behind the heavy canvas wall.

Working her way along the wall and making sure to keep out of any torch light cast, she moved along the outside of the camp, heading up to the top of a slope for a vantage point. A faint breeze snapped the banners and tent walls now and then, and she was grateful for the extra noise to help mask her steps as they rippled in the wind. Once there, she scanned from her position for anything that looked like a prisoner tent or area. It didn't take long, as the only tents that had guards on them aside from them were Liu Bei's personal tent.

Dropping lower in her crouch, Diao Chan dashed through the shadows to the back of a tent, and inched her way along the back of it to the next one, and the next, and so forth, slowly making her way around to the back of the prisoner tent. So consumed was she by her determination she barely had time to notice the butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. As she pressed herself against the back of it and craned her neck around to see, she found out suddenly that she had been wrong. There wasn't one prisoner tent, there were multiple ones, and all guarded.

Several knives later the ground was littered with guards' bodies. Retrieving her knives, she stepped over them silently, then considered the tents before her. It was then she realized that they were not marked any differently than any of the others, or at least not that she could figure out. There was no real way to tell from the outside whether or not there was even anyone inside at all, let alone to indicate who it might be if there was. She glanced from one tent to the next, then to the one after it. There was really no way around it... she'd have to chance one...

She looked from one to the next again, trying to glean any information at all that might give her some sort of indicator to go on. There was none, however. She had absolutely no way to know, and yet, she couldn't turn back. Her need to save Zhen Ji was so great she knew she had to chance it. She had to, she couldn't live with herself if she didn't.

Taking one last desperate look around, she sucked in a deep breath through her teeth, chose a tent at random, and ducked straight into it.

The two guards that were lounging idly in the guard tent blinked at her with expressions of surprise that mirrored her own. For several heavy moments, they just stared at her while she tried to overcome the feeling of despair slowly coming over her. She tried to will her legs to move, but couldn't seem to manage it.

One of the guards overcame their surprise before she did, and with a wordless grunt he lurched forward and grabbed at her arm. She tried to duck away in alarm, but the second guard overcame himself and caught her as she did. She struggled wordlessly, bringing a knee up in a shot to the groin. He went down in a limp heap moaning, but the first guard was back and caught her from behind. He bent her arms behind her back in such a way as to make her cry out and she found herself fast immobilized. She tried to struggle, but he had her in such a way that any time she moved too jerkily she'd wrench her own arm sockets in his grip. After a few moments the guard she nailed managed to pick himself up and get some rope. After a few more moments of struggle they had her bound. At first she sat dejectedly as they talked about what to do with her, but then she got an image in her head of Zhen Ji, her beautiful raven hair cascading around her shoulders, a look of defiance in her face with her jaw set... she would never submit, were she here...

Diao Chan got her legs under her and launched herself with a snarl at the closest one of the two, hitting him with her shoulder and sending them both down in a tangle. There was a sickening crunch as she landed on top of him, and as the second guard reached down to drag her off him he was yelling and clutching at his leg which was bent beneath him at an odd angle. She tried to dive at him again, but the guard that had her dragged her from the tent and across to another tent, the other one with guards on it down the row.

It was still early enough that the camp was not fully asleep yet, and apparently it's lord was still awake, for Liu Bei stood in his tent talking with two extremely large men as she was hauled in. Liu Bei blinked in surprise, and the two men paused and ran a critical eye over her. One of them was taller and had an extremely long beard, and it was he that walked forward. He shifted his gaze from her to the guard that held her.

"Why have you brought a prisoner before our lord that is still armed?"

"I... uh..."

The large bearded man spat and relieved her of her knives and whip. "Do not make the same mistake again."

"I uh... yes, my lord."

Liu Bei suddenly spoke up. "This is Lady Diao Chan, Lu Bu's songstress!"

The other large man gasped, but the bearded man merely eyed her more closely. Not with the wild lust of other men, but with a considering gaze.

"I don't suppose you'd tell me why you've come, my lady?" Liu Bei smiled, but Diao Chan kept silent. She had nothing to say to the enemy. Or perhaps she was just dazed at being caught. She really couldn't have said.

Liu Bei sighed. "Detain her. We can't let her leave until we have some answers."

The guard bowed as well as he could while holding her arms, and pushed her out of the tent ahead of him and back to the prisoner area. The bodies of the guards had been taken away and a fresh detail had taken up position. Without her knives or even her whip she had no way to resist. Her captor pulled one tent flap open, then shoved her in, turning away as she stumbled over inside of it. She slumped backwards, defeated, trying not to let despair overcome her. She'd come here to save Ji, but had instead herself been captured... she had failed...

"... Diao?"

She whipped her head around, and there she was. Zhen Ji, sitting on the floor in the middle of the tent, a look of concern twisting her beautiful face. And with that, she lost it. With a cry she flung herself at Ji, who just managed to catch her without falling over.

"I was just trying to help you! I'm so sorry, I thought I could get you out...!"

Once again she was lost in hysterics. She cursed herself for her weakness, just as she had done earlier that afternoon, but this time it wasn't out of bitterness. Rather than be angry because of Lu Bu, she was comforted by the arms of Zhen Ji, who stroked her hair slowly and made soothing noises. She couldn't believe how easy it was to lose herself in Ji, but right now she wanted nothing more than the arms of Lady Zhen. And Ji was only too happy to give them to her, making soothing noises and rocking her gently.

After several minutes Diao straightened up and got a hold of herself. She'd had no idea just how emotionally distraught she'd been, and she gazed in to Ji's eyes as Ji considered her.

"You really came just to help me?" Ji asked tentatively.

"Yes! I couldn't stand it when they took you! It almost broke my heart!"

"By yourself?"

"Lu Bu wouldn't help! No one would! He said you were too valuable as a hostage, and that you'd be able to be exchanged for after the battle. He said I shouldn't worry because the worst that might happen was that a soldier might... might... take you..." she choked briefly at this, then rushed onwards. "But what if we lose the battle? What if things go badly or what if they're wrong? I couldn't stand it if I sat by and did nothing...!"

The kiss came with a suddenness that surprised them both; Ji because of how easily it came for her to give it, and Diao for how natural it seemed to be to receive it. Either way, they circled their arms around the other one as it went on and on, their soft lips pressed together as their tongues probed each other. They hungered for the other, needed the other, and as they pressed their bodies against each other the heat rose and the intensity of the feelings they had been building up seemed to explode forth as their mouths pressed and they melted into each other.

After several minutes of this intensity, they broke apart for breath, looking each other in the eyes with the magic of what just happened, the feeling in their hearts echoed in the other... It took them a few moments of self control to compose themselves, a silent acknowledgement that this wasn't the time to get swept away in what was building between them. There would be plenty of time for that later, if they survived this night.

"We need to get out of here." Ji whispered fiercely. A fire ignited in her eyes, one that Diao Chan found intense and slightly scary, but she nodded and Ji eyed her up and down. "Did you bring any weapons?"

"I did, but they took them when they caught me." Diao Chan lowered her eyes in shame.

Ji reached out, lifting Diao's chin with a finger to meet her gaze. "I did not mean to imply you had done wrong, songbird. It was just a question."

"... songbird?"

Ji blinked, then gave a half smile and a shrug. "We're getting closer, you and I. We are tied together now. Nicknames seem appropriate." she turned away and began rooting around the tent, looking for anything that could be used as a weapon.

Diao Chan watched her a moment, her heart fluttering. She rather liked that... she shook herself. Now was not the time. She began looking around also, but could find nothing. She was starting to get a tad frustrated when a ripping noise caught her attention and she turned around.

Ji held up a scrap of carpet fabric that she had pulled back from the floor along with a rather flat and sharp looking rock.

"This won't serve as a weapon," she whispered, "But it should serve to get us out of here."

Diao nodded as Ji turned to the rear tent wall. She pushed against it to bow it outward, then pressed the sharp tip of the rock against it. A ripping sound issued forth as the canvas tore that was much louder than either of them expected, and they both turned to watch the tent door flap for fear of a guard hearing. After a few moments of silence they released the breaths they had been holding, and Ji went back to work. A few minutes of sawing motion produced a slit in the canvas just large enough for them to squeeze through, and a moment later they were standing behind the tent breathing the open night air. They didn't have too long to celebrate though, and they knew it. Ji looked around, not wanting to head for the main gates. Diao saw the hesitance on her face, and tugged her sleeve. With a wordless gesture she pointed the way she had come. Ji nodded and Diao ducked down and began to dash from tent to tent sticking to the shadows, Ji sticking close behind.

The gap in the wall that Diao Chan had pried loose was still there. No one had noticed it. She ducked down and wiggled through, then turned to help Ji up out of it... and that's when they heard the alarm raised. Their absence had been noticed.

"We should head for the trees." Ji said quickly. "It will provide the most cover."

"If we make for the trees, we'll be running within arrow shot of their walls while we run. If we go up the hill between the rocky crags, we'll be out of range quicker."

"The crags don't provide decent cover. We'll be completely exposed until we've crested the hill."

Diao Chan wrung her hands, feeling decidedly uncomfortable without her weapons. She was not a weakling, but Ji definitely had more of an air of command about her, a regal presence and way she held herself.

"All right, if you think it's best."

Ji nodded and took Diao's hand, and the two turned and made a break for the tree line. After a few moments the sound of boots beating the ground came from behind them as several guards gave chase. Diao Chan had a moment to wonder why they weren't shooting anything at them and were instead just chasing them, but she was mostly concerned with running. Hand in hand, the two women ran along the camp wall until they reached the edge of the hill, then skirted around and made for the tree line, with the guards pounding along behind after them the whole way.

The trees were dense but the underbrush wasn't very thick, allowing little streams of moonlight to spill through spaced out by thick shadows. They ran through the darkness taking blind turns through gaps in the trees in an attempt to lose the guards. The ground was slightly uneven, taking upward and downward dips without warning, and more than once Diao Chan heart a guard cry out in pain and go down with a thud when he stepped wrong. They had gained a significant lead on them and she was starting to worry that something the same might happen to them if they weren't careful.

As if her thoughts were a summons to reality, she suddenly felt a tug as Ji's hand left hers. There was a muffled cry and a splash and suddenly she found herself sprayed with water. It was an eerie feeling in the dark, and she had a moment of confusion before she realized exactly what had happened.

"Zhen Ji!" she moved closer to the edge of the water as she heard faint splashing.

"I'm okay, Diao." Ji's voice sounded shaken and stuttered with the cold. It was unlikely it carried very far, but Diao Chan worried the guards would hear them and they'd lose their lead.

She rummaged around until she found a long stick, which she held out towards the middle of the small pool. "Here, grab this."

Diao Chan felt the stick tug as Ji grabbed it, and she held it firm as Ji pulled herself out with it.

"Th-thank y-you. L-lets go."

Ji hurried off, but Diao Chan was concerned. Her tone didn't waver, but she was stuttering with the cold... but they couldn't stop yet. They continued hurrying onward, at a little slower pace. Eventually they managed to lose the guards in the trees, and they turned back up towards Xia Pi fortress, keeping to the trees. After some time Ji stopped them.

"D-d-d-diao, I..."

Spinning around she watched as Ji slumped wetly onto a log, barely able to stand. She put an arm under Ji's and gasped. "You're freezing!"

Ji grinned slightly in the dark, her teeth chattering slightly. "Y-y-you c-couldn't tell?"

She sighed and rubbed Ji's arm's with her hands. "I knew you were cold from that pool of water, but I didn't think you were in this bad of shape. We need to get you warm or you'll get sick."

"I-I-I'm f-f-fine."

"Nonsense. We have to-"

"W-w-we can't r-r-risk a f-f-f-fire. We s-s-should j-just keep g-g-going."

Diao Chan stared at Ji, stared at her soaked figure, stared in to her beautiful face and piercing eyes. She couldn't just go on, she'd never forgive herself if she got sick over this. She had to get her warm... which meant they'd have to make camp for the night... but they had no camping gear... Diao Chan knew she'd have to get her warm with her own body heat. She took a deep breath, looked Ji directly in the eye, and was surprised on a subconscious level at how smoothly her voice came out.

"Take off your clothes."

Ji was taken aback for the space of a blink. She knew the logic behind it, but she found herself heating up at the thought...

Diao Chan waited patiently Ji slowly reached behind herself and undid the ties on her dress, having to tug harder than normal at the soaked knots. After a few moments of watching her struggle, Diao reached out and helped her with them, and shortly Ji was pealing her drenched dress and shift off, to lay them out over the log to dry. Diao paused only a moment to gaze at Ji's naked body. Ji looked back at her, finding that she was completely unashamed, as long as it was Diao Chan looking at her.

Without a word Diao reached around and began undoing the buckles on her leather outfit. She slipped the leather off easily, and after a few seconds stood naked along side of Ji. The two had a moment of intense heat, a magical moment as they gazed at each other, each one's eyes running up and down the other, along the soft curves of the other's body, both wanting to see and be seen by the other. They appreciated the beauty of the other, wanted to press into it, to be consumed within the others' presence...

The moment was spoiled as Ji suddenly sneezed. Diao winced in concern, so wrapped up was she in gazing at her. She took Ji by the hand and laid her down beside the log on some soft foliage, then laid down next to her. She pressed her body in close against hers and pulled her own clothing up over them both to use as blankets. They lay there together for awhile, Diao hugging Ji's shivering body close to hers, rubbing her sides and arms to get heat going back into them. It took some time, but eventually she stopped shivering and even started producing her own warmth. And then the heat returned...

Diao flushed deeply, and was internally grateful that it was dark out so Ji couldn't see. They had kissed! And now they were laying naked together in the middle of nowhere with nothing but the trees and stars to see. It was probably one of the most romantic scenes she could imagine, and she was laying beside another woman. In the heat of adrenaline-fueled excitement of breaking in to rescue Ji and breaking out of the camp again, she hadn't had time to think about it, but now that the danger had passed and they were alone again, the magnitude of the situation came crashing home. Her skin was on fire with excitement for the amazing and beautiful woman beside her, and the most electrifying part of all was that she found she wasn't worried about the right or wrong of it, she was only worried if Ji felt the same way. After all the time they'd spent together since she had arrived with her husband to help with the siege, they'd become so important to each other all she wanted was to be closer to her, to be with her... to love her...

She was shaken out of her reverie by the very object of her thoughts as Ji suddenly made a tiny squeek. "Are you trying to squeeze me in half, songbird?" It was a playful tone, not a rebuking one, and Diao realized she was squeezing Ji very tightly around the middle, holding on for dear life.

"Sorry..." she muttered, blushing in the darkness.

Ji giggled. "Do not be sorry. You've saved my life. I owe you..."

"Nono, I just had to warm you up. I saved you from a cold maybe, but not your life..."

"A sickness that may have taken my life eventually." Ji's tone changed suddenly. "I'm very serious. I'm indebted to you."

Diao felt a sting in her eye, a tear roll down her burning face. "No, I... I just had to save you. You've become so important to me, I... I..." she trailed off, words failing her, and once again she cursed herself for being so weak. What was wrong with her? She was stronger than this! How could she be so silly?

Ji twisted sideways with a suddenness that surprised Diao, coming around so they were face to face under her leathers, folded into each other's arms, their bodies pressing together. Diao gazed up in to Ji's face through the darkness, feeling her piercing eyes returning her gaze.

"You've become important to me too, songbird..." Ji breathed, and just like that neither of them could ignore their situation any longer. They leaned forward almost at the same time, their breasts squishing together as they brought their lips to the other's, hungry for each other. In sharp contrast to the fierce kiss from before, this one was slow and tender, their lips melting together as they pressed themselves even more firmly into the other one. Diao felt Ji's hands running along her back and petting her hair, and she responded in kind. She wanted this. Ji wanted this. It felt so right neither one of them would have it any other way.

It lasted for several minutes before Ji became more insistent with her movements, and suddenly her hands weren't just on Diao's back, and she gasped in surprise as she felt one of Ji's hands sliding up the inside of one leg. She parted them willingly, encouraging her onward, completely entranced by this beautiful woman, as if by magic. She spent several minutes petting her legs, brushing her arm tantalizingly across Diao's mound, making her moan with anticipation. She felt Ji's other hand cup her breast and rub one of her nipples as she trailed kisses over her chin and down her neck. Her skin tingled at Ji's fingertips and she absolutely melted beneath her touch.

Ji continued trailing her kisses down her chest and cross to her other breast, and without hesitation took her other nipple into her mouth, licking it and flicking it around with her hot tongue. Diao moaned as her breath came in deep heaves, and she rolled over on her back so Ji could have her, take her more easily, flinging her clothes they had been using as blankets off, the cool night air barely touching her heated skin.

"Oh... Ji... I'm enchanted... please..."

Ji moaned against her nipple and put one leg up over Diao's shin, rubbing herself against her knee. She shuddered as waves of pleasure crashed through her body. She slid her hand up to cup Diao's sex and began to stroke her outer lips with one figner as she continued to grind herself on her kneed. Both women moaned against each other, their backs arching as they rubbed and pressed harder, but they kept a slow tempo, taking their time to fully feel each other, to fully experience each other, as one takes their time to fully feel a slow beat love ballad that crashes over you at a crawling pace the way lazy waves lap at a sandy bank.

They lost themselves in the slow rhythm, and suddenly Diao cried out, her hips bucking upwards against Ji's hand as she climaxed, She moaned loudly as she gushed, and shouted Ji's name lovingly. It was a beautiful sight, one that filled Ji with such happiness to see Diao in so much pleasure from her ministrations, the sight of which was enough to push the enchantress herself over the edge for hew own climax. Ji abandoned Diao's nipple and laid down with her, rubbing at Diao's slit while she pressed her own against her knee as they laid together shaking, climaxing together and kissing each other softly, panting and whispering their names to each other.

They held each other and kissed softly until both their climaxes had subsided, running their hands along each other's breasts and sides, and slowly the heat built back up. Their kissing became more and more passionate, returning to the intensity of the first kiss, their lips more insistent and their hands more determined as they rubbed their bodies against each other.

"Songbird..."

"Enchantress..."

"I want to taste you..."

"Me too..."

One more kiss and Ji leaned up and turned around. Diao parted her legs once again for her beautiful enchantress as she leaned her face down to her lips, and put her arm around Ji's legs as she positioned her own sex over Diao's face. They paused for a moment, taking in the scent and feel of each other, breathing each other in deeply, their breasts heaving up against the other's stomachs. Then an unspoken word passed between them with a subtle flexing of muscles, and they leaned their faces in to each other. They parted the other one's lips with their tongues, and then simultaneously moaned against the other's holes as their warm hot tongues and breaths pressed against their clits.

It was vigorous and intense, tongues lapping at each other up and down, they clung to each others' hips as they flexed their legs with the intense pleasure they were sending through each other, riding the waves and moaning together, alternating between licking up and down running their tongues along each others' clits, then taking them in the others' mouth and sucking on it, bobbing their heads and shaking them, running their lips and tongues over, and even burying their tongues in each others holes, licking their inside walls and crying out with the pleasure of it all. The clutched each other tighter and tighter, rubbing and licking, and again it was Diao who climaxed first, her hips suddenly bucking violently yet again as her juices burst forth, pouring into Ji's mouth. To Ji's delight, she found she loved it, and the taste of Diao gushing into her mouth was enough to send her following behind Diao with her climax again, and in turn Diao found she enjoyed Ji's taste as well. Both girls moaned loudly and licked each other clean, shaking against each other with their climaxes and holding on tighter than ever, nuzzling each other's mounds and inner legs, lovingly licking up all their juices.

They returned to each other's sides, and wrapped their arms around each other lovingly. They pressed their bodies back into each other for warmth, and found that the soft press of the other's bare skin against theirs was one of the most wonderful sensations they had ever experienced. They pulled Diao's black leathers back over themselves and snuggled in, and as they wordlessly enjoyed the feel of the other, they slowly drifted off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5 Saved

Been quite some time, but I caught the itch to write again. Sorry for the long delay everyone. .; But I'm on it again. This chapter is a little bit shorter than I had intended, I've even got chapter 6 outlined already and it shouldn't be too long out! As always, feedback is appreciated! Enjoy! ^.^

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First light broke through the tree canopy and spilled down on to Zhen Ji's face, bringing her awake. She yawned, and started to stretch before she remembered where she was, and looked down to see the sleeping form Diao Chan beside her. The night before had been magical, almost like a fairy tale, and she smiled at the memory as she gazed down on the slumbering Diao. They had moved away from each other slightly in their sleep, but they still had their arms around each other's bare waists. Ji slowly slid her arm free, being ever so careful not to disturb Diao, and lifted her arms over her head, her bare breasts bouncing slightly as she began stretching the sleep out of her muscles. She took several minutes to do this, as she usually did when she awoke, and afterward she leaned up next to the fallen tree trunk beside which they had stopped the previous night. She had fallen into a small pool of water as they fled Liu Bei's guards, and they had hung her clothing up to dry. Feeling her dress, she found that the seems and some of the thicker fabric was still very slightly damp, but otherwise it was mostly dry.

Ji stood up and took a look around, stretching her legs out. The trees weren't very thick, but they had ran deep enough into the stand that they couldn't see out of the trees from where they were. There were no sounds of wildelife either. A product of the siege, she was sure.

The siege... they had to get back. Ji looked back down at Diao. She would have loved nothing more than to gaze down at her naked body and watch her songbird sleep, but... Ji sighed. They had to get back. She knelt down beside Diao and leaned her face down to hers, and pressed her lips against Diao's in a gentle kiss. The sleeping woman responded reflexively, and after a few moments of soft kisses her eyes fluttered open and she melted under her. I could really get used to this, Ji thought with amusement as watched Diao melt under her touch. There was just something about seeing such a strong and willful woman turn to mush at her touch that Ji liked.

She broke the kiss and leaned upward again, and blushed only slightly as she caught Diao's eyes run up and down her naked form appreciatively. She smiled. "Do you like what you see, songbird?"

"Yes. You enchant me. More than any beautiful song or pretty scenery ever has."

Ji's blush deepened, but she smiled playfully, raising a cocky eyebrow. "Well, you may continue to enjoy me, if it pleases you."

"It would, if you'll have me."

Ji leaned in and kissed her again by way of answer. They wrapped their arms once again around each other and pressed their naked bodies in as they embraced, and they both felt the heat begin to rise again...

With a gasp Ji broke the embraced and leaned away again, reality barging it's way rudely to the forefront of her thoughts. "We have to go. The siege..."

Diao's eyes went wide and she nodded. They stood and began pulling on their clothes, helping each other with hard to reach buttons and ties, and after they were clothed again they set off hand in hand through the trees back towards the fortress. It was a bit of a walk, and after awhile Diao broke the silence.

"So... what do you suppose this means for us?"

Ji blinked and thought about it. "I've heard whispers of... women like us. Who prefer to... be with other women."

"I didn't even think I was like that." Diao mused.

Ji smiled at her. "Me either. I suppose I just needed to meet someone... special."

Diao smiled back at her.

"In any case," Ji went on, "I don't want to leave you now."

"I don't want that, either."

"So I suppose after the siege is over I will just have to talk Lord Yuan Xi into staying."

Diao giggled. "Gods know Lord Lu Bu won't wish to go anywhere."

Ji laughed. "He'll be to obsessed with holding his prize, I'm sure."

"If we win..."

The words were out before Diao thought about them, and they shared a look pained possibilities. If they didn't win, it was likely most of them would be captured or routed, and if that happened...

Neither wanted to think about it, and they walked on in silence, occasionally squeezing the others hand reassuringly. It took the better part of an hour, but they finally came up on the treeline. They were farther in than they had thought they were, and found they were approaching Xia Pi fortress from the side. And as they looked on, they saw the whole of Cao Cao's army amassed on the front sides. The wall had been broken down more, and they seemed to be temporarily pulled back. This looked bad.

They hurried forward and found a side gate that the soldiers on the wall opened for them once Diao called up the appropriate hail to him and he recognized her. They rushed in through a side entrance and through the corridors to the main hall, where they found Lu Bu holding an emergency strategy session with his generals. As they burst through the doors and Lu Bu caught sight of Diao, however, he immediately rose and the crowd grew quiet.

"Diao Chan!" he shouted, and literally shoved men out of his way to get to her, lifting them from their feet and flinging them bodily to the stone floor out of his way. She flinched involuntarily. He strode right up to her and lifted her in the air. Ji just barely kept herself from reaching out for her, and a moment later she found Yuan Xi next to her.

"My lady! Are you all right? Lord Lu Bu said you'd been captured."

"I was."

"And you escaped? Incredible!"

"No, I was rescued."

"Rescued?" He looked puzzled. "By who?"

"By Lady Diao Chan."

He flushed with anger. A Lady was not supposed to rescue another Lady. A man was supposed to rescue his Lady himself.

Lu Bu set Diao down. "You... you rescued her?"

"I did." Diao said simply.

Lu Bu's face suddenly darkened. "That's where you were all night when I desired your company?" he shouted.

"Yes."

"You disobeyed me!" he bellowed, his rage rising, all previous relief at seeing her safe completely gone from his demeanor. "I forbade you from going! I told you I would not allow it!" He lashed a fist out and smashed a table in anger. The table top cracked down the middle and the legs splintered.

"You did."

"Then how could you! I told you it was not worth it!"

Yuan Xi foolishly interrupted. "My Lady was not worth your attentions?" he strode up to Lu Bu, blinded by his own anger, and thumped him on the chest. "How dare you say that!"

"CRETIN!" Lu Bu's fist lashed out again, and Yuan Xi's head snapped back with the blow as he spun in to a wall and collapsed. Before anyone could react Lu Bu had rounded on Diao Chan. "I WILL NOT HAVE A WOMAN THAT DISOBEYS ME!"

There was a clatter of metal plates and suddenly Zhang Liao was in front of Diao, blocking her with his own body, his arms outstretched with his glaive in hand.

"Lord Lu Bu, stop!"

Lu Bu halted, but only barely.

"Back of, Zhang Liao. I have great respect for you, but this does not concern you!" he snarled

Zhang Liao held his ground, his voice cool yet intense. "My Lord, now is not the time! The enemy is at our very door, and you insult the honor of your allies! You must come to your senses before we lose everything!"

Lu Bu leaned his head back and bellowed, "I DO NOT CARE WHAT OTHERS THINK!" he growled and looked around the room, "I am the mightiest warrior in the WORLD! How can anyone dare to defy me?"

Yuan Shao walked down with his other brothers and personal retainers. They helped Yuan Xi to his feet, who was just coming to in a very dizzy and disoriented fashion. Yuan Shao turned to face Lu Bu... from behind Zhang Liao.

"Lu Bu," he said, "Your battle is nearly lost, and you have no respect for those closest to you. I will not support a lost cause. You are on your own." he turned around and gave the signal to his men, and they began to file out.

Lu Bu snarled and sprang at Yuan Shao, but Zhang Liao pushed him back as he shouted after him, "Fine! Leave! I don't need you! I don't need any of you! Run, you cowards! I will win this my self!"

Diao Chan looked longingly after Ji as Yuan Xi dizzily took her by the arm to lead her out. They held eye contact, a look of anguish on their faces, as she was dragged away. She tried follow after, her heart breaking as the scene played out before, powerless to alter it, but Lu Bu grabbed her arm.

"I will not have you disobeying me again! You will submit, or I swear to the gods, I will-!"

He was cut off as Diao's slap caught him full on the cheek. It was as hard as she could make it, and red finger marks sprang forth upon his cheek where her hand had connected across his jaw. He was so startled he lost his train of thought for a moment.

"I am NOT your DOLL!" she screamed, and she fled the room.

Yuan Shu's forces rode away from the fortress at a retreating angle. A few of Cao Cao's scouts followed them a ways off to make sure they were retreating and not planning some trick. They rode off the battlefield and made camp, and the scouts returned to report that they had left Lu Bu's ranks. Shortly there after Lu Bu himself led his forces out and opened Xia Pi's gates, and met Cao Cao's forces head on, with nary a strategy or plan of any sort. It was a valiant and foolish move. They were vastly out numbered and stood no chance. The final battle was quick and bloody, and in the end only a fraction of Lu Bu's forces that had surrendered remained. Lu Bu and his generals and strategist were captured and brought before Cao Cao himself. It was no surprise to anyone when Cao Cao ordered his death. Lu Bu was a ravening beast that had invaded his territory and needed to be put down.

The generals that surrendered to Cao Cao begged for their lives. It was said he sneered at all of them and called them cowards. The only man who did not beg for his life was Zhang Liao, who demanded a swift and honorable death. His request impressed Cao Cao, who instead offered him a position among his own forces, honoring his valor in the face of defeat. And though he refused initially, Liu Bei himself pleaded with Zhang Liao to reconsider, begging him not to throw his life away meaninglessly over a foolish cause such as that of Lu Bu's revolt, and in the end Zhang Liao accepted and swore himself to Cao Cao's service.

The forces of Yuan Shu were allowed to leave, for they had left Lu Bu's side and wanted only to return north of the Guan Du river. They remained where they were for the day and planned to strike camp the following morning to return north.

And with that, the Battle of Xia Pi came to a close.

"You can't be serious! What can you hope to accomplish?"

Zhen Ji strode out of their tent and headed to the horse lines with Yuan Xi shouting at her all the way.

"They've been defeated! There's no point to this! Come back to the tent!"

She ignored him. She had to go back. The word was that Lu Bu had been executed but they had heard nothing of Diao Chan. She had to go back for her songbird. There was no way she could not, and no way she could explain that to Yuan Xi.

"Think this through, Ji! What will this accomplish? Yuan Shu will not let me go with you!"

"Then stay." she said simply. She found a double saddle she could use to put Diao Chan on and handed it to a stable boy and pointed at her horse. He looked to Yuan Xi nervously.

"Don't do it." Yuan Xi told him.

Ji never looked away from him. "Do it."

The command in her voice and her more regal presence over rode that of Yuan Xi, and after a moment the stable boy bobbed his head and turned to her horse. Yuan Xi flushed in anger and grabbed her arm.

"You will not go! I command it!"

Ji narrowed her eyes dangerously. "You command it? I'm sorry, but you do not command me. I am neither your slave nor your servant, and I will not obey your commands."

Yuan Xi spluttered. That was not the way he was raised to believe a wife spoke to her lord. The stable boy led her horse over to her after buckling the saddle in to place, and she mounted up, straddling the saddle like a boy, her dress ridding right up to her hip, but she didn't care. She kicked her horse to a gallop, leaving Yuan Xi spluttering in anger and the stable boy staring after her.

She galloped the whole way back to Xia Pi, her horse panting by the time she reached it, the light beginning to fade away into dusk. She suddenly realized she wasn't sure where she should be looking, her thoughts until now having been consumed by nothing more than the driving need to get here as soon as possible. As she crested a small rise she got a view of the fortress and could see the occupation was pretty much completed. Cao Cao's banners were flying over the towers and the courtyards and barracks were all full of his troops. No body crews had been sent out as yet though, so as she set out down the path through the battlefield she had step her horse carefully around the fallen soldiers.

She had a mind to ride right up to the gates and demand to speak to Cao Cao. She was sure she could get an audience with him, but he might make her wait several days, and that wasn't an idea she was keen on if she could avoid it. She cast her gaze out over the field in idle thought, and was slightly surprised to see movement a little way off. It was too small to be a clean up or salvage crew, so she headed towards it.

She was honestly surprised to find it was Diao Chan, and as she drew close enough to make out details of what she was doing, her heart nearly dropped into her stomach.

Diao Chan was crouched over the body of Lu Bu. They hadn't even bothered to clear his body away, the husk of the mightiest warrior of all time no more important than that of a common soldier. Diao was covered in dust and her face was dirty with streaks through the grime where she had shed tears. The truly horrible part however was that she was holding a knife. She had it positioned against her own throat and had a look of such despair on her face that Ji wanted to cry. She spurred her horse to a gallop again and screamed wordlessly, the only thought in her head to get get Diao before she did it.

Diao Chan looked up as she heard Ji screaming. She blinked through the tears and dust, and suddenly began to cry anew. The knife tumbled from her fingers and she stood up, holding her arms out to Ji, who flung herself from the horse with such a force they both toppled to the ground. Ji clutched Diao to her, kissing at her and holding her as she cried. She mumbled through the tears, muttering half hysterically, something about thinking Ji was gone and never coming back, and with Lu Bu dead she thought her life was over. She cried and cried, and Ji just held her and kissed her and rocked her gently. She held her until the sun sank down behind the trees, and after a long while Diao's crying slowed and eventually stopped. She looked up in to Ji's eyes with her tear streaked face, the red of the final light of dusk the only light left of the departure of the sun as it turned it's back on this ugly day, and Ji had never seen anything so beautiful in her life. They kissed again, a real kiss.

"I... I love you..." Diao whispered.

Ji smiled down at her. "I love you, my beautiful songbird."

She stood and helped Diao up. Diao took one last look at Lu Bu's body, then turned away. Ji caught her horse's riegns and held it steady. She helped Diao mount into the passenger seat, then swung herself up. Diao wrapped her arms around Ji's middle and rested her head on her back.

"Where will we go now, my enchantress?" Diao asked.

"Back to the Yuan camp."

"Won't they recognize me?"

"No. We'll hide you. Pretend you're one of my hand maids. We'll color your hair differently and tell them I took you in recently."

"Can Wen Cai come?"

Ji smiled again. "Absolutely."

"I saw her in the castle before I fled. I can send a letter..."

"That's a good idea."

Ji spurred her horse to a quick trot and aimed it back towards the Yuan camp. The last of the day's light faded away and they returned to the camp in full darkness, having ridden back in silence. No words were needed, for they had each other. Ji madet he appropriate excuses to the guards and servants, and hurried Diao off to her private tent, and when Yuan Xi came angrily to shout at her, she refused to see him. He made such an angry scene that eventually his brothers had to come and intervene, dragging him away to drink and console him over his insolent wife. Ji did not care. None of it mattered to her. She called for the materials she needed, and together the two women worked in to the night to alter Diao's hair and come up with a suitable wardrobe that was different enough from her old clothing that no one would recognize her. They spent the rest of the night sleeping in each other's arms, spent but needing nothing more than the other. And as dawn came the following morning, it heralded a new day for them. From here, they would face the rest of their lives together.


End file.
